Darshan aka Darshan Toogudeep is a Kannada actor. The son of veteran actor Toogudeepa Shrinivas, Darshan made his debut as hero with the 2002 hit Majestic. Darshan is identified as the action hero of Kannada, and fans call him Challenging Star.

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Early Life

Darshan was born on February 16, 1977 in Mysore to veteran actor Toogudeepa Shrinivas and Meena. He has an older sister Divya and a younger brother Dinakar who is now a director. Darshan and his siblings were kept away from the film industry by their father.

Career

Darshan entered the film industry doing odd jobs, he was first a light boy. He then became assistant to the cinematographer BC Gowrishankar. He started off his acting career with a small role in S Narayan's Mahabharata (1997). He also did small roles in television serials. His first break came with the film Majestic in 2002 were he donned the hero role for the first time. The film introduced a new action hero and the audience reaction to the film was tremendous. After Majestic, Darshan signed more films, and by the end of 2002, three more films (Dhruva, Ninagoskara, Kitti) with him as lead were released to satisfactory critical and commercial performance.

2003 was Darshan's year, he acted in a maximum number of films. Darshan had a massive hit in early 2003, Kariya with director Prem. The film cemented Darshan's position as the top action hero in Kannada cinema. He also did sentimental films - his next releases Laali Haadu and Neenendre Ishta were not out and out action flicks. Also towards the end of 2003, Darshan appeared in what was to remain his most different film to date. In Namma Preetiya Ramu, Darshan played the role of a blind youth to perfection, however, the film suffered by the release of Darshan's own action-oriented Daasa. Darshan also did Lankesh Patrike for first time director Indrajit Lankesh.

In 2004, Darshan continued his action image with films like Dharma, Darshan, Bhagwan. His major hit of the year was Kalasipalya with Rakshita. The film was not different from Darshan's earlier rowdyism films but it was more notable, as it started a successful collaboration with heroine Rakshita and director N Omprakash Rao. The trio did more films like Ayya at the start of 2005 and Mandya in 2006 before the friendship between Darshan and Om Prakash Rao turned sour. In 2006, Darshan launched brother Dinakar as director for their home banner. Jote Joteyali starred Prem Kumar and Ramya as leads, and Darshan showed up for a friendly role. The film was a major success.

In 2007, Darshan appeared in a supporting role in the film Anatharu with Upendra as the thief with a golden heart. His performance was widely acclaimed. Darshan's next major hit was the Tamil remake film Gaja with Navya Nair which the star claims is his biggest hit. The film brought forth an unexplored talent, Darshan's comic timing. His other films of the year, Indra in which he played a double role, and Arjun did not do well at the box office. He played a villanous role in Navagraha for his home banner, realizing a long cherished dream. The role was critically acclaimed. In 2009, Darshan will be seen in a much awaited team up with old friend N Omprakash Rao. He is also set to do the remake of the Telugu hit Pokiri - Porki, Boss with Gaja girl Navya Nair, and Abhay for Mahesh Babu.

Personal Life

Darshan is married to his long time girlfriend Vijayalaxmi, and the couple had a son in late December 2008. Darshan is an animal lover, and owns a private zoo in Mysore. He is also crazy about cars, his latest acquisition is a Hummer.